Tofu Tikka Masala

The perfectly rich tomato sauce, the wonderful level of spice and the aromatic flavours, there’s a lot to love about this style of food.

Ingredients

-1 people+

Metric

Method

1. 1

   Drain any excess water from the tofu and, if needed, press for 10–15 minutes.

   
2. 2

   Put the rest of the marinade ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir to combine.

   
3. 3

   Slice the tofu into 2cm (3/4”) pieces, then transfer to the marinade and use a spoon to coat it. Put the tofu into an airtight container, cover, and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight.

   
4. 4

   When you’re ready to prepare the curry, preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 400°F and line a large baking tray with baking paper.

   
5. 5

   Meanwhile, put a teaspoon of coconut oil into a large saucepan on a low-medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the red onion and fry for 5 minutes.

   
6. 6

   Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 2 minutes.

   
7. 7

   Add the cumin seeds, paprika, garam masala and chilli powder, and fry for 1 minute to toast the spices.

   
8. 8

   Pour the passata into the saucepan, followed by a very generous pinch of salt and the caster sugar. Give everything a good stir, then cover and lower the heat. Leave the curry to simmer for at least 30 minutes, but check on it a couple of times and give it a stir in case it sticks to the bottom of the saucepan.

   
9. 9

   Remove the marinated tofu from the fridge and transfer the pieces to the baking tray, making sure you scoop as much of the marinade on to the tofu as possible. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

   
10. 10

    Meanwhile cook the rice as per the packet instructions.

    
11. 11

    Remove the tofu from the oven and carefully drop each piece into the curry sauce, followed by the rest of the coconut yoghurt and the lemon juice. Give everything a good stir and add extra seasoning if necessary. Simmer on a low heat for a few minutes, then remove the curry from the heat.

    
12. 12

    Serve the curry with the rice and a generous handful of fresh coriander leaves.